When interior designer Laurie Scovotti started her eponymous design firm in 2017, she was ready to level up career-wise. Studying art at Georgetown and design at Parsons led to awesome opportunities to work with industry legends on the “AD100” list and “The Elle Décor A-List,” including Mara Miller and Jesse Carrier of Carrier and Company. On paper, she was fully schooled. But her personal design story actually started much earlier.
“As a kid, I was always drawing floor plans for imaginary houses, rearranging my Playmobil dollhouse, and watching Trading Spaces on TV,” Scovotti recalls. “I painted my childhood bedroom hot pink, then pale purple, then added butterflies. I still stand by those choices, but I probably could have skipped the lime green sponge-painted bathroom,” she admits. Even collaborating with college roommates on some self-proclaimed “questionable” decorating projects involving staple guns helped lead Scovotti to where she is now: living pretty in Larchmont.
Landing in the leafy village followed a fairly predictable trajectory. In 2015, when she and her husband Matt were expecting their first baby, they both agreed the sun was setting on their New York City era. The couple soon locked in on a center hall colonial with what Scovotti deemed a great layout, tons of functional space, and an elegant flow. That said, cosmetic upgrades were a priority. Shortly after their March closing—and targeting a July move-in—the couple’s contractor gutted all the bathrooms, replaced all the doors and lighting, updated some flooring, and painted everything. But that was just a jumpstart.
As a designer, Scovotti is always shopping and sourcing, so she had a deep well of ideas and possible options. “Color and pattern are always at the top of my wish list,” she says. “I wanted the house to feel happy, fun, warm, and inviting.” Scovotti’s playbook leans heavily on bold hues. “I think some people are afraid of getting sick of a strong color, but I tend to feel the opposite. Bland choices make me tired before I even start.” She loves wallpaper for visual interest and to bring energy to a space. Case in point: In the furniture-less entryway, yellow Bob Collins & Sons bamboo wallpaper does all the talking, setting the tone for the rest of the house from the minute you step inside.
In similar style, Scovotti went bold on the kitchen floor, which is a porcelain hex tile. She wanted the cabinetry and finishes to feel classic, but quickly realized the overall feel was a little too plain. Her husband encouraged a daring choice for underfoot, and it was definitely the way to go. “I love the combination of the warm neutral floor with the cool gray cabinets. The pattern is clearly strong, but the neutrals help ground it.” Tiling the walls from floor to ceiling, including the range hood, further upped the ante in the space, and helped define it from the adjoining dining room.
Elsewhere, she veered most eclectic in the living room, mixing modern lines with traditional pieces. As the main living space, it needed to be tough enough to withstand kid action, but pretty enough to never feel like a playroom. Adding marble tiles and custom vanities to both full baths easily elevated them. For a touch of edge in the serene primary bedroom, Scovotti chose an over-scaled, black mid-century light fixture and black lamp shade. “I love that interior design is a form of art you live in,” she says. “Blending creativity and practicality is key, and any house is a constantly evolving process.” As time passes and kids grow, changes are inevitable. But right now, this house feels right exactly as-is.
All in the Family
Laurie Scovotti refined her décor game plan as a matter of course, when her own kids grew through ages and stages. Her house is a master class in meshing superb style with family-friendly functionality. Steal her best tips:
- Choose materials that can withstand some abuse. Think only hard-wearing fabrics for upholstered pieces, such as cotton twill, denim, linen, and even higher-end indoor/outdoor. Skip welting when possible, because that wears through over time. Also, wool carpets are naturally durable and stain resistant. “We’ve been able to scrub up a lot of ketchup stains from the wool flatweave in our living room,” Scovotti assures.
- Contain your enthusiasm. “Baskets are the key to everything,” says Scovotti. “They hold a lot, add a natural element that looks right in any setting, and preserve the illusion of organization.” For instance, in her living room, a basket on the shelf in the coffee table conceals a multitude of Magna-Tiles.
- Make long-range furniture choices. She bought a daybed with a trundle for son George, 9, so he could easily have sleepovers with his younger brother Walter, 4, or friends in the future. When the trundle is tucked underneath, the bed is a comfy place to hang out.
- Repurpose things you already own. “The carpet currently in my 7-year-old daughter’s bedroom was purchased years ago at a Connecticut antique mall for the living room in our city apartment,” Scovotti explains. Now, the gray wool grounds all of the pink, and the overscaled Greek key border adds ageless sophistication as Emma approaches her tweens.
- Think outside the box. For longevity’s sake, don’t buy into typical expectations or tired themes. Example: In Walter’s bedroom, Scovotti opted for bold green walls with a burlwood dresser, a vintage lantern, and Roman shades in an oversized marine toile Schumacher fabric. Curating along these lines creates a space that can grow with a child without ever feeling too baby-sweet, says Scovotti.
- Pick up a paintbrush. “George’s room started out white because that seemed like the right choice for a baby, but pretty much immediately I felt bored by it,” Scovotti confesses. She soon stenciled his walls with cheery stars. “For my daughter’s bedroom, I wanted a different feel, so I ditched the stencil for a more organic, free-hand approach.” Emma’s middle name is Clementine, so the stylized citrus trees Scovotti dreamed up were a fun nod to that. She went with painted stripes in Walter’s bedroom, tackling the project in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I love that each room is unique to them and gives their spaces a ‘wow’ factor.”
- Keep on top of clutter. “I wish I had a magic tip, but really it’s just about vigilance,” Scovotti says. “If you wait too long it feels overwhelming.”
